Floodlight



United States Patent 3,284,622 FLOODLIGHT Buell Moore, Houston, Tex., assignor to Esquire, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,720 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-3) This invention relates generally to improvements in a floodlight of the general type shown in US. Patent No. 3,001,060, wherein a lamp is mounted in an upright position within a case intermediate a reflecting surface across the back of the case and opening across the front of the case.

In the particular floodlight shown in this patent, the lower end of the lamp is connected to an electrical socket in the bottom of the case, and a cylindrical protuberance on the upper end of the lamp fits closely within a correspondingly shaped nonelectrical socket on the top of the case to hold the lamp properly aligned with respect to the reflecting surface. The nonelectrical socket comprises a cylindrical metal body which is lined with asbestos to insulate it from the heat of the lamp, which may be as great as 600 F. While the nonelectrical socket holds the lamp firmly at its upper end, the asbestos lining also serves as a cushion against vibrations common to most industrial areas which might otherwise cause the lamp to be broken off at its neck adjacent the electrical socket.

More recently, there has been developed and introduced to the market a lamp of somewhat different shape in that it has a cylindrical recess rather than a protuberance at its upper end, and it is the object of this invention to provide a floodlight for supporting this new lamp in much the same manner that the prior lamp is supported.

A more particular object is to provide a floodlight in which the new lamp is supported at both ends in such a manner as to maintain it aligned with respect to the reflecting surface; and, more particularly, in which the upper end of the lamp is insulated from the case of the floodlight as well as guidably supported by a means which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon a consideration of the written specification, the attached claim and the annexed drawings.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters are used throughout to designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a floodlight constructed in accordance with the present invention and during assembly of the lamp into supported position between an electrical socket at its lower end and a guide post on the top of the case which fits within the recess at its upper end;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the floodlight of FIG. 1, as seen along broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and with the recess in the upper end of the lamp fitted over the guide post; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the parts of the guide post separated from one another.

Referring now to the details of the above-described drawings, the floodlight comprises a case 11 made up of upper and lower members 12 and 13 having flanges 12a and 1301, respectively, which are bolted together, as shown in FIG. 2, to define atop 14-, bottom 15 and back 16 for the case. There is a reflective surface 21 across the back of the case, and a lens 17 across the open front side of the case opposite the reflective surface so as to enclose the interior of the case. The lens is held in place and sealed about its edges by frame 18 bolted or otherwise secured across flanges 19 about the forward edges of case members 12 and 13.

3,284,622 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 Lamp 20 is supported at its lower end in an electrical socket 22 in the bottom 15 of the case to dispose it in a generally upright position intermediate the reflective surface 21 and the lens 17. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, this reflective surface is made up of a plurality of reflective strips 'which are curved concavely both about a vertical axis as well as about a horizontal axis so as to reflect a broad band of light from lamp 20. The back of the case may be correspondingly curved so as to fit closely about the back surface of the reflective strips. These strips maybe constructed and mounted within slots in the top and bottom of the case in the manner shown and described in US. Patent No. 3,001,061.

As best shown in FIG. 2, there is a sheet 23 of reflective material on the top 14 of the case and a sheet 24 of reflective material on the bottom 15 of the case, so that substantially all of the interior surfaces of the case are reflective. As also shown in FIG. 2, the flanges 19 about the open front end of the case turned outwardly, and the inner edge of the frame 18 is coextensive with the inwardly facing reflective surface of sheets 23 and 24 so as to provide a full opening for reflected light through the lens 17.

There is an opening 25 in the bottom 15 of the case and a matching opening 26 through the reflective sheet 24 to pass the lamp 20. The electrical socket 22, which may be of the conventional screw in type, is carried in the lower end of a well 27 having a flange which is removably connected to the bottom of the case about the openings 25 and 26 by means of bolts 28 or the like. Thus, as will be obvious from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2, the lamp 20 may be moved with the well 27 into and out of assembly within the floodlight case. An electrical conduit 22a extends from the socket through the well for connection to a power source.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the lamp for which the floodlight 10 of the present invention is designed has a cylindrical recess 29 in its upper end. It is offered to the public by the General Electric Company as the E Mercury Lamp. It is presently available in and 250- watt sizes, and the manufacturer indicates that-it will be available in 400-watt sizes.

In accordance with the present invention, this lamp 20 is held in an upright position by means of a cylindrical post 30 mounted on the top 14 of the case and in alignment with the opening 25 through the bottom of the case so as to fit closely within the lamp recess 29 as the lamp is moved upwardly into the case. As best shown in FIG. 3, this post includes a metal pin 31 which extends downwardly from the top of the case and a pair of rings 32 of insulating material disposed about the lower end of the post in vertically spaced apart relationship. More particularly, each ring is received in a groove 33 about the post 31 so as to project circumferentially therefrom for fitting closely within the lamp recess 29.

The minimum diameter of each groove corresponds substantially to the inside diameter of the ring 32 to be received in it, so that, in its unstressed condition, the ring fits snugly within the groove. Thus, the inner diameters of the unstressed rings 32 are somewhat smaller than the outside diameter of the lower end of the pin 31 so that they must be stretched over and into their respective grooves. The depth of each groove may be approximately one-half of the thickness of the ring, or whatever is required to prevent the ring from being accidentally displaced from the pin as the lamp recess 29 is moved over the guide post in the assembly and disassembly of the lamp.

The rings are made from polytetrafluoroethylene, which is marketed under the trade name Teflon, because this material has been found to be especially well suited for the purposes of this invention. Thus, Teflon will withstand temperatures up to 600 F., as might be expected with a lamp of this type, and is also sufficiently elastic to permit each ring to be stretched over the end of the metal pin 31 into and out of a snug fit within its groove 33. Also, of course, this material is readily moldable into the required O-ring shape illustrated in FIG. 3. Although other suitable materials might be found to be satisfactory for this purpose, they must have these characteristics of heat resistance and elasticity which are possessed by Teflon.

Obviously, it may be found that one such ring 32 is sufiicient, or, in the alternative, more than two rings may be used. In any case, one such ring should be located relatively close to the lower end of the pin 31 so as to minimize the possibility of engaging the pin with the lamp as the recess is first moved over the guide post.

As shown in FIG. 3, there is a threaded opening 34 in the upper end of the pin 31 to receive a threaded bolt 35 which extends downwardly through the top 12 of the case and the sheet 23 across the top of the case. In this manner, the metal pin may be secured to the top of the case for extension downwardly therefrom, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Since the guide post is mounted on top of the case in substantial alignment with the opening 25 through which the lamp passes, the recess 29 in the upper end of the lamp is automatically fitted over the post as the lamp is moved upwardly through the opening. Thus, to complete the assembly of the floodlight, well 27 is merely secured to the bottom of the case by the bolts 28. Alternatively, of course, the socket 22 in which the lower end of the lamp 20 is supported may be fixedly secured to the bottom of the case, and the guide post may be secured to a removable portion of the top of the case. In this latter event, the guide post would be moved down wardly into the lamp recess 29 as the portion of the top of the case in which it is carried is moved downwardly for connection to the remainder of the top of the case.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floodlight is mounted on a standard 36 comprising a yoke 37 mounted on the upper end of a post 38. The upper ends of the yoke pivotally support opposite sides of the case 11 so that the floodlight may be tilted about a horizontal axis. The lower end of the yoke includes a sleeve 39 having set screws 40 or the like for releasably securing it over the upper end of the post 38. Thus, these screws may be backed oif and then retightened to permit the sleeve 39 and thus the floodlight to be swung about a vertical axis.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claim.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

A floodlight, comprising a case having a top and bottom and an opening in one side, a reflecting surface in the case opposite the opening therein, an electrical socket in the bottom of the case for mounting a lamp in an upright position intermediate the reflecting surface and opening in the case, a cylindrical metal post extending downwardly from the top of the case, a groove about the post, and a ring within the groove having a portion thereof projecting circumferentially from the outer periphery of the post so to fit closely with a recess in the upper end of the lamp, said ring being of a material having the characteristics of polytetrafluoroethylene in that it has sufiicient elasticity to permit it to be stretched over the end of the post and sufficient resistance to heat to withstand lamp temperatures up to 600 F. without de- COlTlpOSlllg.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,756,384 7/1956 Meyer 2401l.4 X 2,892,992 6/1959 Ingraham 24011.4 X 3,001,060 9/1961 Moore 240-3 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

